It’s been about 25 years since Netflix began renting movies through its website in the late 1990s.
Since its inception, Netflix has grown to become a household name, offering its rental and streaming services worldwide.
Since 2013, the company has also produced its own content, some of which has been massively popular, like Stranger Things.
In recent years, the company has begun delving into video game territory.
Video games are a natural next step for the company as the medium is excellent for storytelling, like movies and television, but with interactivity.
In 2021, Netflix acquired indie video game developer Night School Studio and began launching mobile games.
Earlier this year, Netflix purchased Allen, Texas-based Boss Fight Entertainment and Helsinki, Finland-based Next Games.
On Monday, Netflix VP of Game Studios Amir Rahimi revealed that the company is building an internal games studio in Helsinki.
“It’s still early days, and we have much more work to do to deliver a great games experience on Netflix,” says Rahimi. “Creating a game can take years, so I’m proud to see how we’re steadily building the foundation of our games studios in our first year, and look forward to sharing what we produce in the coming years.”
Rahimi says establishing the studio is another step in the company’s vision to bring delightful and deeply engaging original games to its members worldwide.
According to Rahimi, the games will be free of ads and in-app purchases, which are features common to many modern video games.
Rahimi says the company decided to build its game studio in Helsinki because it is home to some of the best game talent in the world.
Along with Night School Studio, Next Games, and Boss Fight Entertainment, Rahimi says Netflix will develop games that suit the diverse tastes of its members.